FPC to launch solar EVA material soon.

Taipei, Oct. 5, 2009 (CENS)--Formosa Plastic Corp. (FPC) will soon announce verified ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) for solar-cell packaging and put the material into volume production sometime in the fourth quarter.

The company plans to install two production lines to make the package material, with each line costing around NT$300-500 million (US$9-15 million at US$1:NT$33). The two production lines are designed to have output of hundreds of tons of the material per month.

FPC aims to snatch up 20-25% of domestic market for the material in the initial stage. The company is bullish about the domestic market in light of thriving expansions at most of the island's crystalline silicon manufacturers, whose products are the integral material for making solar cells. Taiwan government estimates local demands for polycrystalline silicon to reach 39,000 metric tons throughout next year.

Industry executives point out that solar EVA is four times the price of its cousin for shoes making. FPC completed the material technology project with government funding.

Although the solar-package material technology is quite mature, there are only a handful of suppliers worldwide and Taiwan's solar-cell makers totally depend on these suppliers, including Mitsui Fabro, STRA and Bridgestone, for the material.

Data show that global output of solar EVA totaled US$10 billion last year and will rise to US$15 billion next year.

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